An Unbroken Skyline
by lxzc2
Summary: Zelda is a pickpocket, surviving on the streets after escaping from the palace under unknown circumstances. Link is a merchant who tracks down his stolen purse, only to find that his thief is wounded and needs protecting... [Link x Zelda]
1. Four Seconds

**A/N:- Here is chapter one of another group story, brought to you by the Link and Zelda C2! Well, actually, this is ZoraAngel writing the first chapter, so prepare to be rocked...! Three, two, one...**

**Disclaimer:- I do not own Zelda. Now THERE'S something that goes without saying.**

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**An Unbroken Skyline**

_Chapter One:- Four Seconds_

Two strangers drank together in a crowded tavern. One was a young woman, her face obscured in the shadows of her cloak. She clutched her half-empty tankard so tightly that the whites of her knuckles showed. The other was a man with ruby red eyes and a bandaged head. He seemed at ease with his surroundings, and drained his tankard with relish.

The young woman took a deep breath, and opened her mouth to speak. Her voice quavered nervously, but the man could not dispute that she was telling the absolute truth.

"It's amazing how much I took time for granted. A single second was nothing to me, something that could be filled out with a pluck of a lyre, or the clearing of a throat. Never did I dare dream that a single moment in time could change my life so wholly, so drastically...so completely."

The young woman cleared her throat awkwardly, as if embarrassed by her openness. "I-I'm sorry," she stammered, turning to her companion. "I didn't mean to-" She broke off, tugging her hood further over her eyes. "No, I will continue," she murmured.

She surveyed the insides of the tavern briefly, noting the roudy tables and overflowing tankards. Her own mug was half-empty, and she hadn't noticed herself sipping the pale liquid. She wondered if this was truly the best place to reveal her secret, but she didn't know what else to do.

"I...my name is...Zelda."

The hooded woman's companion drew a sudden, involuntary breath. He slowly reached out a hand and brushed the thick fabric of Zelda's head covering. Zelda jerked backwards at the contact, and a golden curl tumbled from her disguise. The man obviously knew who she was, now all she had to do was convince him to help her.

"Don't," she warned. "Have you any idea who could see me here?"

"Princess, have you any idea what you have done by coming here!? By coming to me!?" the man asked in a furious whisper. He slowly leant across the table, making as if he was collecting the tankards. "I...am...being...watched..."

_A dark night on the streets. Cold. _

_'People are more wary of their pockets these days,' thought Zelda irritably. She sifted through her own pockets and stared at the single rupee she had stolen at the market. Of course, she only pickpocketed the rich toffs that strutted from stall to stall, and that lessened her guilt somewhat. 'Stealing from my own subjects,' she thought to herself, disgusted. 'I'm taking people's hard earned money just so I can survive!'_

_Muffled voices alerted her to the fact that she was no longer alone. She shrank deeper into the little alcove in the wall she had discovered, and listened._

_"...don't care if you don't like the man! He's damn loyal to the Crown and gets results...which is more than I can say for-"_

_"Shut up! There's just something I don't trust about Shiek."_

_"Only because he doesn't kiss your Din-damned boots all the time! He may not be conventional but-"_

_"I..."_

_"SHUT UP!"_

_Zelda carefully noted the name she had heard. Maybe this 'Shiek' could help her, Din knows, she was desperate enough for anyone. The bitter wind howled down the alley, and she shivered._

"Shiek-" Zelda began. Her companion rose from the table, eyes burning.

"Leave while you still can. I can't do anything for you," he said roughly. Zelda felt a wave of disappointment and hopelessness rush over her, then Shiek spoke again, leaving her with one last word. "Yet."

Clinging to Shiek's words like driftwood in a shipwreck, Zelda slipped quietly from the tavern, not relishing the prospect of another night on the streets. Judging by the length of the shadows, she guessed she only had a few hours of daylight left. She made her way to the marketplace and wove in and out of the crowd, looking for people who could afford to lose a few rupees.

A tall merchant in richly coloured silk bustled by. Zelda could almost hear the jingling of his purse. Ah yes, there it was, swinging beguilingly from his belt! She fumbled for her knife, a dull, rusty thing she had found by the castle moat. She edged closer. The idiot man was talking with a cotton trader, waving his arms enthusiastically. She walked confidently towards him, planning to slice the purse right off his belt.

_One..._

She was right next to the merchant. She could even smell his perfume, a confusing blend of exotic oils and myrrh. She felt lightheaded, and cursed the ale Shiek had offered her.

_Two..._

There wasn't much time left. Zelda knew that her target would soon move on. But why couldn't she move her hand?

_Three..._

It was now or never. Zelda forced herself to do it. The purse dropped neatly into her palm.

_Four..._

She kept moving, walking evenly with the rest of the crowd. Her heart was beating wildly, as it always did when she picked someone's pocket. Exhilaration made her feel sick. At least she was going to get away, maybe even to buy a sweet, juicy apple! It had been awhile since she'd tasted one of those. A coach clattered over the cobblestones behind her. Quickly, she dove out of the way, but the alleyway was narrow and she collided head first with the side of a building.

Darkness fluttered at the edge of her vision. Where was the purse? Where was she? Something sticky trickled down her forehead, but she was too tired to care. It felt good, not caring, even about the thing that had been on her mind for weeks, the reason she was now living on the streets of Hyrule Castle Town instead of in the palace, taking care of her people.

"Hello. My name is Link. Pleased to meet you," said a voice above her. Zelda opened her eyes. A man was kneeling beside her, meeting her gaze with his piercing blue eyes. She felt cloth being pressed against her forehead. Silk.

"You're bleeding quite awfully," Link continued, as if this were a normal conversation. "So before I ask you why you felt the need to cut my purse, I really need you to stay conscious."

Zelda blanched. He was the merchant from earlier! The damn man must have followed her, even though it had never happened before. "I..." she choked out.

"You could start with your name," Link suggested calmly. There was another ripping noise, and more silk against Zelda's forehead.

"My name is Esme," Zelda replied, retaining the presence of mind to keep her identity secret.

"Well, Esme, you really shouldn't go diving into walls. Not good for the soul," said Link.

"I'll keep that in mind," said Zelda dryly.

"Look, I really think you're going to need some proper bandages for this. I'll have to take you to the medic," Link informed her. Zelda felt a flare of panic. What if he intended to give her up to the guards?

"It would be much easier if you took your purse and left," she said quickly. Link tilted his head and looked into her eyes.

"Hmm. Can you even get up?" he asked. Zelda struggled for a second, and her world spun. "Exactly," Link confirmed. "This will do for now." He wrapped some strips of silk around her head tightly, holding a larger panel of material in place over the cut. "Now let's see about that medic," he muttered, lifting Zelda gently into his arms. Zelda felt her eyes close again. There was dirt and blood all over her face, and she was most likely about to be put into gaol, but all that mattered at that moment was she was being looked after.

"HALT!" an authoritive voice bellowed. Zelda guessed the guards had found her before Link turned her in.

"I've halted. What now?" Link replied.

"Now we take the girl," the voice answered, with a menacing undertone. Zelda opened her eyes a slit. There were four men at the end of the little alleyway, all dressed in black. She squinted, making out a white insignia on their fronts. _His_ symbol. She made a muffled, whimpering sound. How did they find her? How did _he_ find her??

"Friends of yours?" Link whispered.

"No," Zelda gasped, trying to slip from his arms and run away.

"Can you run?" Link asked quickly. Adrenaline coursed through Zelda's veins. Anything, _anything_ to get away from those thugs. She nodded, but hesitated. Funny how she felt such loyalty to a complete stranger. "Did you think I would not recognise my own princess?" Link whispered again. Zelda gave an involuntary gasp of shock. "Go," Link ordered.

To Zelda's intense shame, she started running.

"I SAID HALT!"

The drawing of steel was the last sound she heard before she escaped from the alley.

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**A/N:- So...what did you think? I'd like to think that I raised some questions in this opening chapter. What, or who, drove Zelda from the palace? Why are people searching for her? People dressed in black more specifically! What role will Shiek play in all of this, or Link for that matter? Only time will tell...because the next chapter goes to someone else!**

**This is ZoraAngel, passing the torch on!**


	2. Vanishing Act

**AN: Hi everyone, this is Perfect Soldier 01 clocking in for the next chapter! I hope you guys enjoy this. Here we go.**

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**An Unbroken Skyline**

_Chapter 2: - Vanishing Act_

"Where, in Din's name, is my daughter?" the King raged in Impa's ear.

She had heard the question many times over the last couple of weeks, each time the King's face growing a darker shade of red in his anger. The King huffed and growled as he strode to and fro around the room, but despite his fury Impa could see the implicit anxiety swell in his eyes.

Zelda had been missing for almost a month now, and the King was growing sick with worry. There had been no break-in, no apparent forced entry, and no commotion. She had simply disappeared, and nobody knew where. Impa had been assigned the duty of gathering information as to the princess's whereabouts. She had her suspicions, but nevertheless she had found no positive leads.

"I am still working on it, your majesty. Please, try to calm yourself."

"Impa!" he snapped. "How can I be calm when my only daughter, the heir to the Hyrule throne, has been kidnapped?"

"We do not know that for sure yet, your highness. Let us think rationally about this."

"You've been thinking rationally about it for the past month, Impa, and you've found nothing!" He paused and sighed, rubbing his temples with his trembling fingers. "We can only assume that she has been abducted."

"I know there has to be a reason for this, your majesty. Give me some more time."

"Damn you and your time! I want my daughter to be found!" He turned around and hung his head. "You are dismissed," he said quietly.

Impa bowed and retreated out of the door unshaken in her determination. She walked swiftly down the hallways and crossed the courtyards, returning to the room she had been investigating for the past few days. She opened the door to Zelda's chamber and began to read all her letters and papers again meticulously, searching for any sign of a riddle or clue to help her. Zelda would not have run away without a reason. She was a wise princess and proud of her kingdom; she would not have abandoned it so foolishly.

"You won't find anything there." Impa turned her head passively to face the owner of the voice. He leaned against the wall, hidden between two pieces of furniture. His knee was bent, arms crossed, most of his body veiled by his cloak.

"You've told me that dozens of times, Sheik."

"Then why do you keep going over them?"

Impa didn't answer and continued reading. His cavalier attitude had never sat well with her, but it was easy enough to tolerate. Sheik sighed, evidently irritated with her.

"Were you followed here?" Impa asked, putting the letters aside. She would not be able to concentrate while speaking with him.

"I made sure I lost them The Sheikah arts certainly help to confuse them."

Although Impa couldn't see all of his face, she could tell he was grinning. But Impa took a more serious tone.

"You should not use your powers in public, Sheik. The people will start to realise your true heritage and identity."

"They aren't that clever, Impa."

"Sheik," Impa said sharply. "Mind who you speak about and where. Have a little more tact in future. It pays to be discreet." Her words were heavy and imposing, but Sheik merely scoffed and grunted in reply.

"Did you finish your business in town?" Impa said, trying to move the conversation in a new, hopefully more productive, direction.

"Yes."

"And the result?"

"Tentative."

"Well, maybe now you'll be able to focus your attentions on what you're supposed to be doing. Did you find any more information about the princess while you were in the market?"

He was silent for a moment before answering. "Not yet."

Impa narrowed her eyes, wary of his pause, but at that moment there were shouts from outside. Impa crossed the room to the window and out onto the balcony. Guards were down below in the courtyard, hurrying down to the gates.

"What are they saying?" Sheik questioned.

Impa closed the balcony doors. "It seems there's been a brawl in the marketplace."

"I'll go down and investigate."

"I think you ought to stay here. I think you've had enough exposure to the crowds today already. I'll go."

Impa left immediately and went directly to the stables to saddle up her white horse. Riding ahead of most of the soldiers, she cantered into the streets, the swarms of people soon making way for her to pass. The scene was easy to locate. Everyone seemed to be rushing towards it gathering in packs around the fighting, their attention hanging on every movement, jeering and bawling like animals.

But as Impa caught sight of the two opponents above the heads of the onlookers, the white emblem of the black-robed man made her heart jolt inside her chest. That was the crest of the Gerudo…

Her attention was quickly drawn to the other man. His expert sword skills made short work of the others and as she slid off her horse, he was dusting his hands indifferently as though he had hardly made an effort.

"What happened here?" Impa demanded as the man eased his sword gently back into its scabbard.

"These men were about to attack a young girl, minister."

Impa's eyes widened a little. Was this finally the lead she had been looking for?

"That may be all very well, sir, but what is a merchant like you doing wielding a sword?"

He smiled a little. "It is a long and old story, but a merchant needs to know how to defend himself from thieves, your ladyship."

By this time some of the soldiers had arrived. "Very well. Take these men away," Impa ordered to the guards. She was about to turn back to the man to question him further but he was nowhere to be found. He had slipped into the throng of market-goers that were slowly dispersing from the scene, sauntering about their daily routines. She could not even see his distinctive forest green robes through the crowd.

"Finish this up," she called to the head guard, and she took off in pursuit of the merchant. It was not everyday that Gerudo factions strolled into the marketplace, and it was certainly not usual for them, let alone anyone, to be setting upon innocent bystanders so violently.

However what seemed to be persisting in her thoughts the longest was the merchant. His face had looked familiar. She had seen him before, but could not place exactly where.

Impa ran faster, knowing that if she could find this merchant again, she was sure that he would be able to help her to find the princess.

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**AN: Please don't forget to review and tell us what you think. I hope that I didn't answer too many questions too soon. Hopefully this will add some more interesting developments in later chapters. But for now I'll say goodbye and hand you over to the next writer! Enjoy the rest of the story!**

**- Perfect Solider 01**


	3. Nostalgia?

**A/N: Heh, sorry this took so long. I won't pile on my wondrous excuses to help hide the real idea that I just was lazy, so without further ado here is chapter three.  
Sorry if it's crap compared to the other authors who have written before me XD**

**Chapter 3: Nostalgia?**

Link had made a mad dash in the direction Zelda had escaped after Impa's first question. He decided that it was probably best to stay away from inquisitive people from the castle until he had asked the princess what was going on. From there he could make a decision on whether he should turn the princess in or not. He really knew nothing about what was going on. It all seemed somehow familiar though. When he had met Princess Zelda today it seemed like it hadn't been the first time. It had seemed that way with Impa also, but it couldn't be possible. Link was only a mere merchant; doing whatever he could on the side to help out the poor citizens of Hyrule. It would be impossible for him to have even seen Zelda for she rarely made public appearances, and truthfully, Link hadn't the slightest care to see Hyrule's rich, snobby, arrogant rules. Princess Zelda had pretty much changed his stereotype on Hyrule's aristocracies. To catch the princess stealing from her own people! That took guts…or perhaps just plain stupidity.

Out of the blue Link was pulled into an abandoned alley with a jerk. He was met by the princess' blue eyes looking at him through the shadow of her good. Zelda continued to pull Link further into the darkness. Link opened his mouth to speak, but Zelda pressed her finger against his lips as a signal to be quiet. Impa rode by on her white stallion, followed by a few castle guards. After they passed by Zelda exhaled loudly as if she had been holding her breath.

"I need your help," the princess whispered urgently. Her eyes were pleading silently as she stared into this newly met stranger's eyes. Zelda could see that the man was slightly taken aback by her suddenness. She held onto the hope that he would be generous and possibly want to help.

"So you want me, a complete stranger, to help you? I don't know anything about you at your situation," Link replied. He wasn't sure if being outside of the castle would be a good idea for Hyrule's seemingly fragile princess. If she was in trouble, why shouldn't he turn her in to a place where she'd be sage? It did bother him, though, that the princess would be willing to accept help from a stranger such as himself. She had all the help she could possibly want at the castle, so why was she searching the streets like a lost dog?

Zelda looked to Link uncomfortably before murmuring, "It's unsafe to talk here." She grasped Link's wrist and pulled him with her to the end of the alley. Her head poked out to look to the left and then to the right, and when she saw that the coast was clear she made a beeline for a set of steps near the drawbridge of Hyrule Town. Zelda pulled Link along and quickly ran up the steps and into a small plain apartment.

The inside of the apartment was decorated with small trinkets and knickknacks. It only seemed to have five small rooms, with very little furnishing. Although it didn't seem like much, it was a comforting, homey feeling place. An elderly lady was standing beside the door Zelda and Link had entered through. The wrinkles around her eyes and mouth creased deeper in her withered skin as she smiled at Zelda.

"Is everything well, Princess?" the little decrepit old lady asked warmly. She smoothed back her silver straying hairs and tried to tuck them back into the loose bun on the back of her head.

"Yes, thank you, Melanie," Zelda replied. "Your generosity and hospitality have been so helpful. I'm going to my room, if you see a guard please worn me." With that Zelda entered though a door to her left. A cot was set up and a pile of Zelda's clothing sat in a basket. There was one small stool in the room along with what seemed to be a desk. The desk was really only a slab of smoothed wood attached to a long, think neck which was attached to three feet to keep it balanced. It didn't look very sturdy, although a ton of papers lay on top of it.

Link sat down on the stool and Zelda shut the door behind herself. She scurried over to the bed and sat before looking up to show Link he had her attention.

"So, what's going on? Who are you running away from and why?" Link asked getting straight to the point. He leaned over and rested his elbows on his things with is chin propped up on his clasped hands. His eyes still gazed into Zelda's eyes intently as if trying to sort out and lies she might tell from the truth.

Zelda cleared her throat and squirmed in her seat slightly. She didn't even know this man's name, and honestly, his stare made her feel really uncomfortable. "Well, as you know, I'm Princess Zelda―"

"Oh, right, I'm Link," he interrupted. He smiled childishly at Zelda and she partially relaxed.

"Yes, no, you probably know the story of the triforce, correct?" Link nodded and Zelda continued. "Well, I am the owner of one part of the triforce; the triforce of wisdom. The only other person that I know of who has a triforce part is Ganondorf, an evil Gerudo who thinks he's a king. I found this information only recently‒" here she motioned towards the papers on her desk which looked to be notes "‒and I got this crazy idea that if I stole Ganondorf's triforce part I could stop his evil ways. What I didn't know was that in order to take a triforce part, you much defeat the holder of a piece in battle. My stupidity caused Ganondorf to find that I owned a piece of the triforce, and now he's been after me ever since."

Link looked completely dumbfounded by all the information he had just received. He knew she hadn't told everything to him. There were still a few questions he had, like what Zelda actually did to Ganondorf. It didn't matter much though, the main thing was that she needed help, and he would get her help. "And you can't return to the castle because…?"

"I cannot put my father in danger like that!" Zelda quickly answered. "So, will you help me?"

"What do you want me to do?" Link asked. His eyes showed that he was about to give in. It would be against his moral well-being not to help a lady.

Zelda replied softly, "We need to defeat Ganondorf and take his triforce part so that he can't cause any more trouble."

With a soft sigh, Link nodded his head signaling that he would help. "Let's start something so we can get this over with." Link stood up and started for the door. He didn't make it very far because Zelda grabbed a hold of his arm.

"Wait, I have a question of two, also," the princess quickly said. "How did a simple merchant learn the ways of a sword so skillfully?"

A huge sheepish grin formed on Link's face. "Actually," he replied, "I don't really know." Even though Link's eyes shined like a child's, there seemed to be more hidden behind the bright blue orbs. Zelda took notice of the secret that lurked inside him immediately and tried cautiously to pry further into the bit of his past she had found.

"Why don't you know? Did something happen?" Zelda rested her chin in her palm as she looked up top Link. Her golden locks spilled from the hood of her cloak and she nervously began to twirl a strand around her finger. Link was just staring at her as if thinking about how to rip her to shreds. Maybe she shouldn't have asked anymore of him.

"I don't know that either," Link finally answered with a shrug. "One day I just sort of woke up from what seemed to be a long daze and I could use a sword really well. My childhood has always been kind of hazy, so I only remember bits and pieces of it. I remember going on a long adventure, but it could have been me playing pretend as a kid. All I know is that every morning I wake up, I feel like this wasn't the destiny I had originally been planned. It feels almost like I've already lived this part of my life once and it somehow got changed." Suddenly Link chuckled. He waked over to the door and put his hand around the old wooden doorknob. "Sorry for the crazy sob story. I know that sounds weird."

Zelda jumped up from her seat with glee. "You've really felt that way?" she asked smiling broadly. "I‒" Suddenly a door slammed and a shriek came from Melanie in the other room. A look of pure fear sprang onto Zelda's face. She stood completely still and motioned for Link to do the same. From the other room a man's deep vice asked where the princess was being hidden.

"I don't know!" Melanie's frail voice cried out. Then like a senile old person she yelled out a completely random phrase. "Biscuit ran away!"

Link looked over to Zelda with the 'you-stayed-with-her?' look. Zelda only rolled her eyes and quickly but quietly began to pick up as many of her chicken scratch notes as he could and put them in a bag. She stuffed them in a bag before pushing Link over to a dirty window beside her bed.

She whispered so quietly that it was barely audible, "Biscuit ran away was my warning! Now go out the window!" In the other room both Zelda and Link could hear the same deep voice announcing to others to begin searching the apartment. Zelda made an attempt to open the window quietly, but it was so old that when she tugged upwards it wouldn't budge. After pushing with all of her might it suddenly opened quickly and busted the glass causing an extremely loud noise. This of course confirmed the men's hunch of Zelda residing there and informed them of her whereabouts.

"RUN!" Zelda screamed nearly pushing Link out of the second story window. She threw herself out of the window, landing on her feet with a thud. Link didn't seem to be suffering much from the fall, despite the fact he had practically been pushed out the window. He grabbed a hole of Zelda by the elbow and began to pull her away. They looked to the window and saw a bulky man with blood red eyes and Ganondorf's crest sewn into the fabric across his chest. In his hand he grasped the bag that contained all of Zelda's notes about the triforce and even Ganondorf. They were lucky they had escaped the clutches of Ganondorf's minion, but that still didn't make them completely safe. The drawbridge at the main entrance of Hyrule was beginning to close.

Link began to take control of the situation because Zelda had become oddly silent. "Jump and squeeze though." He commanded as they neared the closing bridge. Link glanced behind his shoulder and saw a small group of Ganondorf's men following behind them. They didn't have a chance at making it through, but Link and Zelda did. "It's now or never!" Link jumped sideways for the slowly closing opening. He was followed by Zelda and they both barely slipped through.

Outside, Link and Zelda were met by the orange glow of the setting sun. Both of them landed in the shallow water of the mote as the bridge loudly came to a close. They could hear the angered shouts of Ganondorf's men from the other side and began to slosh out of the water. Zelda seemed to be in a daze when Link glanced over at her.

"Melanie will be fine you know, and the papers, they can't be too much trouble," Link whispered trying to help console her some. "We can't dwell on it now. They aren't going to be held long." Link motioned towards the drawbridge.

Zelda looked at Link in shock. He had figured out what she was thinking about so easily. "Yes, you're right, I guess. We should go." She began to walk, still breathing heavily from all the rush and running. She stopped when she heard the sound of a soft, flute-like instrument. When she turned she found that the sound was coming from Link who was playing a dark blue ocarina.

"I've got transportation," Link informed Zelda, answering what her next question would have been.

For some reason the ocarina looked familiar to Zelda. She stared at it, trying to remember where she had seen it before. It seemed that no matter how hard she raked her brains, she couldn't figure it out. "Where'd you get your ocarina from?" she asked curiously.

A reddish, rusty-colored mare was galloping towards Link and Zelda. She stopped when she reached Link's side. After Link hoisted Zelda up onto the horse's saddle he replied to her question. "I think I got it from a girl when I was a little kid," Link said with a goofy grin. He got serious quickly. "It's getting late. Should we hide and camp out somewhere?"

Suddenly the drawbridge fell and out came the follower's of Ganondorf riding on their dark haired horses. Link pushed himself up on to the horse and yelled a command. The horse took of immediately and Zelda wrapped her arms around Link's waist for support. They were followed by the sounds of the other horses' feet thudding against the ground and the men's angry voices.

The sun was getting lower and lower in the sky and the wind whipped around as the horses raced into the twilight. "Maybe we can lose them in the dark?" Zelda shouted over the wind.

Link's reply was drowned out in the wind.

**A/N: Ha, what's this? What is this 'past life' so to speak that Link has talked about? Muwahahaha. Yeah, well, I don't think I answered any questions, but whatever. That's it for Serene-Moon-Princess :)**


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